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Maleny Co-operative Development

This wiki is a public resource for the Maleny community and social businesses as well as anyone interested in Maleny Co-operatives and Community Development.

It allows the community to document the history of the "Maleny Co-operative Movement" from the late 1970's to the present day.

The Maleny organisations documented here can be co-operative, non-profit associations or social enterprises - that is people-centered organisations that contributed to the social and ecomonic development of the community.

As these organisations consisted of people - stories about the poeple, events and gatherings and their contributions to the organisations can also be included.

Maleny Co-ops Work

Co-operative are formed when a group of like-minded individuals join together to accomplish something that each acting alone would never be able to achieve. Successful co-ops are always born out of need. They cannot be imposed on a community - they have to grow from the energy and commitment of local people.

Co-ops are different to traditional private and public sector organisations. They represent a third way that integrates economic and social objectives.

Unlike the private sector, which tends to concentrate wealth and power in the hands of a few, co-ops spread the wealth and power to each member equally. Unlike government, which tends to be remote and unresponsive to the communities it is supposed to serve, co-ops are driven by their members and in touch with their needs.

Co-ops have a tremendous competitive advantage because co-op members have a vested interest in their co-op's success. Members own the co-op so they are more likely to buy the co-op's goods or use its services.

Maleny Co-operatives

Maleny has a long history of co-operatives development, starting with the dairy co-op in the early 1900s. In the 1940s the community build a kindergarten in one weekend. Today Maleny's co-ops work in all areas of community life.

Co-ops lists the Co-ops